First time using cocobolo

mnavarro

mnavarro

Joined
Nov 21, 2013
Messages
288
First time using cocobolo, I like how it came out. Tell me what you think.
Thanks

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Looks great! Also, it looks like an all around great fixed blade as well. Nice job! Steel?
 
Steel is 1/8 aebl. I have been using it a lot lately and like how it performs. You can get it very sharp and it is fairly easy to sharpen. The pins are 1/4 mosiac, an it has a thin white liner.
Thanks
 
Quite nice !
Did you grind the blade ?
Cocobolo often smells like roses when you cut it . . . did yours ?
What finish on the handle ? Cocobolo can be tricky to finish / oil ruins it.
Careful of the light sap wood can be a lot softer than the heartwood.
I prefer the look of the larger pins over the trend toward skinny pins.

Thanks for posting it.
 
Nice job on the knife and handle.

I would suggest looking for wider blocks or wood that has no sap wood. The white wood isn't the same as the dark. Some folks don't like the part white look. The white will get dirty ands stain in use, too.
 
Yes I did grind the blade out. The wood did not smell like roses, i really cant describe the smell but it was not unpleasant? I took the handle up to 800 grit on the grinder, then went on to hand sanding to 2000 grit. After I ran it through the buffer with a soft wheel and green compound. Thanks
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Nice job on the knife and handle.

I would suggest looking for wider blocks or wood that has no sap wood. The white wood isn't the same as the dark. Some folks don't like the part white look. The white will get dirty ands stain in use, too.
Click to expand...

Thanks I really appreciate your feedback. The set of scales I used were precut, next time I will just purchase blocks instead to get an even color.
 
I understand the attraction of sneaking in some sap wood. It is interesting to look at. It is fine on a tool I will use personally. I was just thinking if a customer were tapping on the butt of the knife or dropped it it might crush a bit. The rose smelling ones were more orange come to think of it.

So no finish on the wood. Burnished it by polishing. That's the way to go with Cocobolo.
 
Cocobolo contains the same oil as poison ivy. Some are highly allergic to the dust. Sneezing, boils, etc can result from the dust. You can get allergic to it after time. I haven't seen it that dark before.
Pete
 
some people are allergic to cocobolo, I am. years ago I used it about six times with no problem, then I woke up in the middle of the night once after using it and my sinuses were on fire. it happened again the next time I used it too, burning sinuses and I mean BURNING, along with spitting up blood. and yes I was wearing a respirator. the only thing I can figure is it was dust from hand sanding it and or floating around the shop a little. that was the last of coco bolo for me. and from what I remember, it didn't smell like any rose to me.
 
Knife looks great!!!

I can no longer use Cocobolo at all. It took about 4-5 knives for me to get to the point where I broke out in a poison ivy like rash all over that lasted about a week to 10 days. The first knife I just got a few tiny spots and each knife I got progressively worse. It's a sensitizing wood so take heed. I so wish I could still use it as I love me a good piece of coco.

Jay
 
I much prefer the sapwood! The two-tone gives it character. I specifically look for two-tone woods.
 
I have a few more sets of this stuff I will probably use in the near future. I did not have any adverse reactions, but thanks for the tips.
 
If your Respirator was only filtering particulate, I wonder if some of the organic vapor could have made it through and irritated your sinuses.
 
I find cocobolo smells very spicy - sort of like cinnamon or nutmeg. The rose woods smell a bit more floral. I have seen a lot of dark South American woods mislabeled online as cocobolo.

There is an irritant in cocobolo's oils that can build up in sensitivity. IIRC, it is not the same as poison ivy (urushiol), but a different resin/oil. Many exotic and oily woods can create sensitivity. Dust collection, a good respirator, and keeping it off your skin as much as possible is important.

It mostly affects the wrists and the sinuses. A good mask will keep it out of your sinuses pretty well. Wearing long sleeves and scrubbing your wrists and hands after working these woods will help reduce sensitivity and rashes. Another common place that gets irritated is the back of your neck, where the dust collects on thin ( and often sweaty) skin.



A final caution about unwanted exposures while working exotic woods in the shop!!!
The oils and resins from exotic woods can easily transfer to thin moist tissues. Rubbing your face or eyes can cause irritation. Grabbing your Willie to take a pee can give you a rash that may require some explaining to your wife. Just a word of caution - wash and dry your hands well first.
 
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I got some big chunks of nice cocobolo recently, and I've been taking a lot of care not to become allergic. A respirator, long sleeves, nitrile gloves, and I clean all the dust up right away and take a shower afterwards. I'd hate to not be able to use the stash I have.

I would say that if you can smell the wood while working with it, you are not protecting yourself well enough.

Cocobolo seems to have a pretty wide range of appearance. Your knife there (nice piece by the way, I like the sapwood accent) has got a dark look, much like some I've used in the past, while other blocks are almost orange all over with dark streaks.
 
Some general advise when working cocobolo "learned from using way way to much of it"

Along with the normal stuff like wear a respirator, long sleeves and use gloves, there is another easy way to avoid the rash and sensitivity.

Once you finish working, shower immediately. In the shower, use shampoo rather than soap to wash off your skin. Shampoo is a surfactant and will help remove the oils better. The other key is to use a wash cloth. While just soap and water will strip the dust off your skin, the important part for removing the layer of oil is to use friction on your skin.

Using this method i have worked with hundreds if not thousands of board feet of cocobolo and other rosewoods both in my home shop and at the LA furniture shop I worked at.
 
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